Page 11 of Paid for By the Bratva

He turns to walk past me, but I stop him. There’s no way I’m letting him past Lara.

“But—” he sputters, noticing it’s the only way out.

“That way,” I point behind him. “Scale the wall, but you never cross her again.”

He pales and turns, running into the shadows and scuffling over the wired wall. He screams when the wires pierce his hands. It’ll bleed, but not like how I plan to make him bleed later. I just didn’t want Lara to see that side of me just yet. And little does Marv know that I’m not one to forgive and forget.

Once he’s out of our periphery, I finally feel relaxed enough to check on Lara. I turn my attention to her and rush over to her side in three large strides. She's trembling, her wide eyes still filled with fear. Though Marv is gone, I know the damage has already been done. She must be terrified, confused, and vulnerable.

"Are you okay?" I ask gently, trying to provide some comfort.

She nods but doesn't speak. "Please don't be afraid of me, Lara," I tell her softly, my heart aching at the sight of her trembling form. "I couldn't let him hurt you. I had to do something."

She nods and averts her gaze. “I…please don’t tell anyone,” she whispers. “I’ll pay you back in time, I swear.”

“Never speak of paying me back again,” I say, almost angrily. “That was my choice!” Doesn’t she understand letting him or anyone else hold her against her will was never an option for me? I would have paid ten times the price to have her free.

She stands up straighter and nods in fear. I can see the shame in her eyes, and it breaks my heart to know that I played a part in putting her in this position by being here tonight. On one hand, of course it was lucky I was here. On the other, I am an Orlov, and she has been trained to maintain formal relationswith other families within the Bratva. This incident tonight can cause grave dishonor, and she’s aware of that.

I may have saved her from Marv tonight, but our lives are now more entangled than ever before. And that can only mean one thing. I can’t just let her out of sight. Knowing she’s keeping the secrets she’s been keeping, seeing a side of her that no one else knows, only makes it harder for me to walk away like nothing happened.

I take a deep breath, steadying myself. There's no time for second thoughts—I need to secure Lara's safety.

"That man, Marv, is dangerous," I say grimly. "As long as he thinks you're my wife, he won't dare come near you again."

Lara pales. “Your wife?” she gasps.

“It’s the only way he’ll buy it after I just told him we’re engaged. Otherwise, if he sees it’s not true, he could spread the news about what happened here tonight, and all this would have been for nothing.”

“No, that can’t happen,” she mutters, panicking as she shakes her head, her black hair flowing around her. A strand is stuck to her lip, and without a thought, I take a finger and sweep it away. I stare at those lips, wishing rather urgently to smash my own against her, to ravage her. My skin tingles as I touch her, and she shivers. I pull away, fighting against the desire burning wild in my head. Lara's eyes search mine as if trying to gauge my sincerity.

“We need to get married straight away,” I say, trying to get back to the reason we’re here. I need to act to feel useful. A plan is what’s needed right now. “It’s just a plot to keep him at bay for your safety. But in time, we’ll deal with the next steps.”

She pales and takes a step back. “Get married?” Her voice comes out in a small squeak.

Shit. What the hell did I just do?

“It’s either that, where I can protect you by standing beside you. Or, you have to tell someone else,” I insist firmly, meaning every word. “Because if you walk away thinking this is all behind us, you’re wrong. Men like Marv are dangerous, Lara. If you don’t trust someone with what happened tonight, you could find yourself in more trouble than you think.”

She tilts her head, and there’s a small furrow on her brow.

“What are you thinking?” I ask, getting impatient with each passing moment.

“I’m thinking that that was probably the most romantic proposal I could ever have hoped for,” she says. I stand there, incredulous, realizing thatthisis the version of Lara I’ve been seeing on surveillance. Fiery, yet sweet. I like it. “Lucky me.”

“Well, I am quite the romantic,” I fold my arms before me.

“Clearly,” she snorts, rolling her eyes. I watch her intently, waiting for a reply, and she looks right at me as though trying to study me.

“What is it?” I ask, wondering what’s going on through that pretty little head.

“I was just thinking, what’s in it for you?” she asks. “Why would you want to marry me or safeguard me when you don’t even know me?”

I’ve been dreading this question from the moment I suggested we marry. Hell, I didn’t even fully understand why I was doing it myself. The truth is, I’m more possessive of her than I care to admit.

So when she asks why I’m pushing this so hard, why I’m so insistent on pretending we’re in love, I can’t just come out and admit the truth. I’ve been spying on her, keeping tabs on her every move. I know how dangerous Marv and his kind are for a woman as naïve and innocent as Lara, and I can't stand the thought of her being vulnerable to that sort of threat.

“This isn’t just about us,” I tell her, trying to mask the real reason behind my words. “It’s about protecting our families from men like Marv. You’ve seen how far they’re willing to go. If we don’t play this right, if we don’t make them believe in us, then we risk everything.”

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